The Ultimate Western Civilization Quiz!

The Romans maintained the custom of having women present at dinner parties. In Greek tradition, wives were not allowed to attend dinner parties.

Roman women were also expected to live up to social values, especially fidelity.

The Romans gained control of Sicily as a result of the First Punic War, which ended in 241 B.C.E.

Roman literature was largely inspired by Greek and Hellenistic culture. The Romans admired and emulated Greek literature, incorporating their literary forms, genres, and themes into their own works. They were particularly influenced by Greek tragedians, poets, and philosophers. The Romans also drew inspiration from Hellenistic culture, which encompassed a fusion of Greek and Eastern influences. This cultural exchange allowed Roman writers to explore new ideas and perspectives, resulting in the development of a rich and diverse literary tradition.

Patricians and plebeians were the two main orders in Roman society during the republic.

The Lares were connected with keeping the family well and its moral traditions alive. Every family maintained a small shrine in their household for them.

Hannibal (247-182 B.C.E.) made a famous crossing over the Alps with war elephants to attack Italy from the north. More than thirty thousand Roman soldiers were lost at Cannae.

The Twelve Tables were enacted sometime between 451 and 449 B.C.E. after a period of tension between the patricians and plebeians. They provided legal protections for the plebeians and guaranteed greater equality and social mobility.

Becoming a consul was the crowning achievement of a lengthy political career in which a man worked his way up through a series of public offices. It bestowed high status on him and his descendants forever.

The correct answer is "mos maiorum." Mos maiorum refers to the customs and traditions of the ancestors in Roman culture. These customs were considered tried and true values that had been passed down through generations. This term is often used to describe the traditional and conservative nature of Roman society, emphasizing the importance of respecting and following the customs of one's ancestors.

Cicero, the great orator, formed the doctrine of humanity, which emphasized an appreciation for the uniqueness of each person.

The Romans believed that people of high birth were inherently better than people of lower birth. While this granted them many advantages, it also carried responsibility since they were expected to exemplify the personal qualities that Romans valued.

It was very common by the time of Sulla's death for former generals to hold high office. Sulla's rival Marius was consul an unprecedented six times.

A Roman woman lived under her father's power for as long as he lived, even when she married. Once her father died, a woman became relatively independent.

The degree of influence of the Etruscans over the development of Rome is currently in considerable dispute.

Although Caesar was extremely ambitious, it was Pompey who received a triumph at the age of twenty-three.

The three Punic Wars, which took place between 264 and 146 B.C.E., were between Rome and the Phoenician city of Carthage. Punic comes from the Roman word for Phoenicians, Punici, the ancestors of the Carthaginians.

In 71 B.C.E., Pompey suppressed a significant slave uprising led by Spartacus, which included around 100,000 escaped slaves. Spartacus, a gladiator and former soldier, organized a formidable rebellion against the Roman Republic. The revolt lasted for several years and posed a major threat to Roman authority. However, Pompey's forces eventually defeated Spartacus and his followers, marking the end of the rebellion.

Although they sometimes enslaved Italian peoples or confiscated some of their lands, Roman authorities typically attempted to turn conquered Italian peoples into partners in Roman expansion, inviting them into citizenship and compelling them to provide soldiers for future conquests.

Tribunes were special officers elected by the Plebian Assembly to protect plebeians from ruthless patricians.

Sulla (c. 138-78 B.C.E.) died before the First Triumvirate was formed in 60 B.C.E.

Proscription was a tactic employed by Sulla to increase his political power. It involved listing traitors and authorizing their death as well as the confiscation of their property. It was used to confiscate the wealth of political opponents.

This tactic, called succession, was effective because the army depended on the military service of the plebeians, as the patricians were not numerous enough to defend Rome by themselves.

Previously, only men with property would enroll in the army. Now men who owned virtually nothing could follow a successful general in the hope of acquiring war booty and a grant of land to retire on, binding them more closely to their general than to Rome.

Pompey was only twenty-three at the time and had never held public office. His being granted a triumph shattered an ancient tradition of the republic.

Jupiter was the chief deity of the Romans, corresponding to the Greek god Zeus. In Roman mythology, Jupiter was the king of the gods and the god of the sky and thunder. He was considered the most powerful deity and was associated with justice, authority, and protection. This parallel between Jupiter and Zeus can be seen in their similar roles and attributes, making Jupiter the correct answer.

The Romans maintained the custom of having women present at dinner parties. In Greek tradition, wives were not allowed to attend dinner parties.

The Vestal Virgins were responsible for tending the eternal flame that symbolized the everlasting existence of the state and were the only female priesthood in Rome. They were chosen as young girls and dedicated themselves to a life of chastity and service to the goddess Vesta. The Vestal Virgins played a crucial role in maintaining the religious and social order of Rome and were highly respected in society.

Romans had a profound respect for tradition and believed that the values by which they lived-the mos maiorum - had been handed down from ancient times.

The Pontifex Maximus ("highest priest") was the most important religious official in Rome. The political powers of this priesthood motivated Rome's most prominent men to seek it.

The Gracchi brothers were from the upper class and served as tribunes. Tribunes were officials in ancient Rome who were elected to represent the interests of the plebeians, or common people, and had the power to veto laws and protect the rights of the lower classes. The Gracchi brothers, Tiberius and Gaius, were known for their social reforms aimed at improving the lives of the poor and addressing issues such as land distribution and unemployment. They were both tribunes and used their positions to push for these reforms, making them social-reforming figures in ancient Rome.

According to legend, Rome had seven kings; the last of who was Tarquin the Proud who was driven out of the city after his son raped a noblewoman.

Latifundia appeared during the Punic Wars as wealthy Romans bought up the land of smaller farmers who had become impoverished by being away from their farms for so long to fight during lengthy campaigns. During these wars, slaves became plentiful, which reduced the work available to Roman freemen.

Caesar challenged the authority of the Senate by refusing to disband his army in 49 B.C.E. and starting a civil war.

The tribunes were elected by the plebeians to protect their interests against patrician domination. They were responsible for representing the plebeians and had the power to veto any decision made by the patricians. The tribunes played a crucial role in the Roman Republic as they ensured that the plebeians had a voice in the government and were not oppressed by the patricians.

Roman education emphasized preparation for public life, and public speaking was an important part of this. Since women were excluded from public life, public speaking was not considered necessary for a girl's education.

Jurists are individuals with legal expertise who provide advice in legal cases. They operate as private citizens rather than officials, meaning that they are not part of the government or holding any official position. Therefore, they can offer their expertise and guidance in a non-official capacity, providing valuable insights and recommendations in legal matters.

The Tribal Assembly, which was created soon after the Plebeian Assembly, included both patricians and plebeians and grouped voters by domicile. In it, the plebeians outnumbered the patricians.

The Roman general Scipio invaded the Carthaginians' homeland and defeated them.

Scipio invaded the Carthaginian homeland in 202 B.C.E. and this led to the Romans finally winning the Second Punic War.

Romans believed that prestige should be visible. Senators distinguished themselves from everyone else with special clothing, wearing a broad purple stripe on their robes.

Romulus is the correct answer because he is known as the legendary first king of Rome. According to the ancient Roman myth, Romulus devised a plan to abduct the Sabine women in order to increase the population of Rome with Roman wives. This event, known as the "Rape of the Sabine Women," played a significant role in the foundation and early history of Rome.

Marauding Gauls sacked Rome in 387 B.C.E.

The Romans assumed that the Greeks would behave as clients of Rome, while the Greeks thought that they had gained their freedom. After decades of resisting Roman intervention, Macedonia and Greece became a Roman province in 146 B.C.E.

The Equites, also known as knights, were landowners who were wealthy businessmen during the late republic. They held a significant amount of economic and political power, and were considered part of the Roman elite. The Equites class was distinct from the senatorial class, and they played a crucial role in Roman society and politics.

Clients were often expected to lend money to their patrons to support their political endeavors. When a patron held public office, his clients lent him money to help him pay for the public works projects that were expected of him. Clients also helped their patron pay for dowries when his daughters married.

As long as Julia lived, Pompey and Caesar avoided outright conflict. When she died in childbirth in 54 B.C.E., the rivalry between the two men soon became an open civil war.

Client armies appeared when powerful generals like Marius eliminated the property requirement for soldiers under his command. Because their self-interests were bound to their general's fortune, they were more loyal to him than to the state.

Censors were former consuls who were elected every five years to elect new senators. They were responsible for conducting the census, maintaining public morality, and overseeing public finances. Their role was crucial in the Roman Republic as they had the power to remove senators from office and assess the social status of citizens.

During the Second Punic War, the Romans suffered their bloodiest loss ever at Cannae. This battle took place in 216 BC and was fought between the Roman Republic and the Carthaginian army led by Hannibal. Hannibal's tactical brilliance and the use of double envelopment strategy resulted in a devastating defeat for the Romans. The Carthaginians were able to encircle and annihilate a much larger Roman army, causing massive casualties. This victory gave Hannibal a significant advantage in the war and demonstrated the effectiveness of his unconventional tactics.